What is the primary purpose of the Air Operations Center (AOC)?

The primary purpose of the Air Operations Center (AOC) is to plan, execute, and assess military operations in support of combat missions. The AOC serves as the critical command and control hub for air operations within a theater of operations, coordinating the activities of various air assets and ensuring that operations align with the overall objectives of a military campaign.

The AOC's responsibilities include integrating intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) information, developing air tasking orders, and directing the execution of air operations to achieve desired effects on adversary forces. By focusing on the planning, execution, and assessment of military operations, the AOC ensures that air power is effectively employed in support of strategic goals.

The other options, while related to military efforts, do not accurately capture the core function of the AOC. Executing military operations in isolation does not reflect the collaborative nature of AOC operations, providing humanitarian aid is a separate mission typically handled by other agencies, and developing new weapons technologies falls more within the purview of research and development organizations rather than the operational command structure of the AOC.